


now does our world descend

by bellpickle



Category: Finder no Hyouteki | Finder Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-20
Updated: 2015-05-04
Packaged: 2018-03-24 21:33:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3785011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bellpickle/pseuds/bellpickle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Akihito and Asami live in a world of true heroes and villains.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. now does our world descend [part I]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally posted the first two chapters on LJ ten million years ago, though a couple of the scenes have been rewritten since then. Barring any catastrophic mishaps, the third chapter should be coming soon. :)

_He cradled the small, warm pile of ashes in his cupped hands as he stepped into the kitchen, his shirt and skin smeared coal black. His mother stared back and forth between it and his face, uncertainty showing in her typically steadfast gaze._

_"Akihito?"_

_"I didn't mean it," he said, looking up at his mother with wide, watery eyes, the tears threatening to pool over. His voice was soft._   
_His mother continued to stare down at him with a concerned look, silently urging him to continue._

_"Some of the other kids trapped a stray kitten in a cage. One of the boys was stepping on its tail and laughing at it. I told him to stop, but he pushed me away and said that all the adults told them to stay away from me because I'm dangerous. And all of them yelled at me to go away. I got so mad and I don't know how it happened, but I... and the other kids ran away, but the cat was in the cage so it couldn't escape and I... I..."_

_"Akihito..."_

_He balled his small fists and let the ashes fall to the floor. His throat hitched and he let out a small sob. "Why me, mom? Why?"_

_A lone tear dropped onto the charred remains scattered on the floor. Through his blurred vision, he could see his mother kneel down in front of him. She raised his head with a gentle lift of his chin, her expression impossibly kind._

_"I know this is hard for you, Akihito. But even though things seem bad now, you will soon realize how lucky you actually are."_

_"But I-"_

_"No buts about it. You've been blessed. You're meant to shine more brightly than anyone else in the whole world."_

_Akihito sniffled as another tear fell from his eyes. "Really?"_

_"Of course! You're a beautiful, bright light. And you will do great things when you're older. You'll see."_

* * *

At first, the fish market struck Akihito as an odd stage for a murder. The inner market was practically abandoned during the late night hours and the darkness hung thick, making the narrow, haphazard alleys especially difficult to navigate through. He somehow caught the scent of iron amidst the stench of ocean and discarded meat and followed its trail like a hound on a hunt.

He turned into a lane full of boarded up food stalls, where the smell of blood overwhelmed his senses. He nudged his surgical mask up till it eclipsed the bump of his nose, though it did little to keep the smell from flooding his nostrils.

He tiptoed through the passage, carefully surveying the floor. He felt his throat automatically constrict at the thought of stumbling upon the body. Judging from the smell alone, there was no way it was a clean death.

He heard a soft rustle some distance ahead of him. Alarmed, Akihito instinctively drew energy to his hands. A soothing heat gathered in his palms as he felt his heartbeat accelerate. Akihito would never admit it to anyone, but the charge up was addictive. The feeling was indescribable, almost like the blood turned to electricity in his veins.

He strained his ears, listening for footfalls or any other noise that would alert him to the lurker’s whereabouts. Just as he was about to take a small step forward, he heard the whistle of a thin, sharp object slicing through the air, close enough to ruffle the edges of his hair.

Reflexively, Akihito drew the palms of his hands up in the direction of the attack. The energy crackled from his fingertips, and with a soft grunt, the heat in his hand exploded outward. A fiery bullet illuminated the walls as it sailed past with blinding speed. Though the flame started small, it grew the further it went, as though it burned the very air it traveled through. But as if expecting the attack, the man rolled to the side, just barely dodging the fireball.

The fire landed on a wooden box, which was consumed in a matter of seconds. The orange glow illuminated the outline of his attacker—including the flecks of fresh blood staining the man’s blond hair. Just as Akihito began to charge up a second attack, the man seemed to vanish before his eyes.

He blinked. And blinked again. After ten minutes of thoroughly searching the area, he realized his assailant had truly disappeared.

"Shit!" Akihito punched the wall and let out a cry of frustration. Still unsatisfied, he kicked over a nearby trash can. He caught a whiff of smoke and whipped around. The fire he accidentally set was quickly inching across the nearest shop storefront, the cheery flames melting and twisting the plastic food displays. "Shit!" Akihito yelled again, this time with a greater sense of urgency. He frantically searched the alleys for a hose.

* * *

The day couldn't get much worse. After the police commissioner chewed him out all morning about "nearly burning down the crime scene" and "getting in the way of the case," he was yet again refused clearance to re-enter the crime scene nor was he allowed to see any of the new evidence the police had gathered, which included the razor blade that the assailant had thrown at him. He wasn’t even allowed to see pictures of the body, the remains of which had been cruelly stuffed into a storage container used for fish.

Even the Tokyo Fire Chief was pissed at him, since he ended up needing help putting out the fire from last night—and everyone knew Akihito himself almost certainly caused it.

On top of all that, he was now trying his absolute best to ignore the persistent buzzing from his cellphone. There was no way Akihito would be able to endure that man's provocations in his current state.

"Akihito?"

Akihito looked up from his cup of tea and was met with the concerned gaze of the man sitting across from him. Akihito almost blushed.

Though the two of them had been meeting at this cafe two times a week for the past couple months now, Akihito still found himself occasionally stunned by the other man's grace and beauty. That a man so glamorous would be so interested in associating with him was something of a small miracle to Akihito.

"Sorry, Feilong. My mind wandered for a sec."

Feilong smiled. "It's okay. You undoubtedly have a lot to think about after a night like that."

"You're telling me! I almost had him! If only this power of mine weren't so much trouble." Akihito huffed and leaned back in his seat. "Why couldn't I get an easy, fun superpower like flying?"

"Though I am perhaps in no position to say this, I have the feeling there is no such thing as an easy superpower. Only a small fraction of people develop any powers at all. How can something so rare be easy to master?"

"Well, they might not be easy, but some powers are definitely more convenient. Like I once heard about a guy in Brazil who can freeze the water in the atmosphere and create icicle storms whenever he wants!"

Feilong chuckled. "I fear you would have too much fun with a power like that."

Akihito pouted. His pout threatened to turn into a full-blown grimace when he felt his pocket vibrate once more.

"I'm ordering something to go." Feilong pushed his chair back and stood up. "Feel free to answer that phone of yours while I'm away," he said with a knowing smirk. This time, Akihito really did blush.

Once Feilong was far enough away, Akihito whipped his phone out with a growl. After typing in his passcode, the illuminated screen informed him of his ten missed calls and one text which simply read,

 **From:** Arrogant Bastard  
**To:** Akihito  
Where are you?

Akihito hit the reply button.

 **From:** Akihito  
**To:** Arrogant Bastard  
Somewhere on Earth.

Akihito waited for the message to send, and then powered his phone off.

Feilong returned with a small white takeout bag in hand. "Since we're running short on time, let's get down to business, shall we?"

Akihito grinned sheepishly. "Well, you've probably already guessed what I'm going to ask you."

"Of course. I know that earning the ire of the entire Tokyo police force isn't enough to stop you, Akihito."

Akihito leaned forward, eyes wide with anticipation. "So you’ll help me?"

"I can't guarantee that I'll be able to get you as much information as last time, but I'll see what I can find out."

"Yes! You're the best!" Akihito had to stop himself from leaping up and hugging the man.

"I wouldn't be so happy if I were you. This guy has murdered five people already. Aren't you at least a little worried? Even with your abilities, you're far from indestructible."

"Yeah, it might be dangerous... But I just can't forgive a guy who kills indiscriminately like this one does. And most police officers don't have any powers at all and they still go hunting for these types of people every day. In comparison to them, how can someone like me do nothing?"

Feilong observed the boy across from him with scrutinizing eyes. Though he could usually shrug off stares, Akihito always felt extremely self-conscious under Feilong's gaze. He wished he could shrink to ant-size and scurry away.

"I think you have the potential to be very strong, Akihito," Feilong said, finally breaking the silence, "But you're too reckless. You can destroy anything in your path, but you give the enemy too many chances to hurt you just as badly. I don't have any abilities, but if I'm careful, I still think I could overpower you in a fight. There are probably many others who feel the same."

Akihito frowned. "I can't help that, though. My powers don't really allow me to fight defensively. I can manipulate fire and shoot it at people. That's it."

"Really? I wonder about that..."

Akihito threw Feilong a curious look as the other man seemed to ponder something. He abruptly shook his head, as if willing himself from his thoughts, before returning his attention to Akihito.

"In any case, I'm sorry to cut things short, but I really must be going.” Feilong started to rise from his seat, but abruptly paused midway. "Oh, and one last thing. Next time you go off on one of my leads, can you at least inform the police where you're headed before you actually go there? What you did last night was really dangerous, you know."

Akihito let out an exaggerated sigh. "If you insist."

"Good. I'll be able to sleep easier that way." Feilong smiled as he begun to make his way towards the exit. "Until next time, hero."

The bell attached to the top of the door jingled as Feilong made his way out. Akihito waved when Feilong walked past the window of the shop and waited until the other man was out of view before slumping into his seat. "Hero, huh?"

It had now been about twenty years since he first developed his powers and sixteen years since his mother had first told him his powers were a blessing in disguise. Up until her death a few years prior, his mother had repeated those words to him countless times.  
But Akihito didn't feel anything like the great man his mother spoke of at all. In fact, he still didn't feel all that different from the idiotic crybaby who almost killed the kids down the street in a fit of anger. Lately, he had begun to wonder if he'd ever be anything but very, very small.

* * *

In the upscale Ginza district of Tokyo sat a towering structure of steel and glass. Exactly sixty stories in height, all of the walls were transparent with the exception of the top ten floors, which were tinted black. In true Ginza fashion, the first twenty floors were converted to a shopping mall filled with Michelin starred restaurants and boutiques selling exotic top-of-the-line beauty products from all over the world. Floors twenty-one to forty-nine consisted of offices, while the highest floor accessible to the public, floor fifty, appeared to be a waiting area.

Beyond the reception desk hid a door, so nondescript compared to the otherwise ornate room that it seemed purposefully unnoticeable. A bespectacled man emerged from behind the door, narrowing his eyes at the guest who was casually leaning against the doors of the elevator. Restriction of entry was so strictly enforced that only a handful of people in all of Japan were allowed to enter the upper floors.

This man was not one of them.

"What is it that you want?" the servant demanded, voice as severe as his gaze.

The guest's grin was borderline manic, the expression matching well with his blood red dyed hair. "Just wanted to deliver a little message to the King." He extended his arm to give the other man a plain white envelope. There was an intricate wax seal on the back with the emblem of a lion.

The servant's eyes narrowed. The guest casually gave him a small bow, and then smirked as he turned back to the elevator.

"The usual place and time," the stranger said before the elevator doors obstructed him from view.

The servant inspected the envelope one more time before retreating back to his lordship's quarters.

* * *

"I will warn you, my lord, the contents of the letter are rather... abrasive."

The two men were currently in the King's personal office on the topmost floor of the building. The King offered his subordinate an amused smirk. "No need to exercise such caution, Kirishima. Whatever it says, I'm sure I can handle it."

Kirishima shot his lord a wary look, but cleared his throat and returned his eyes to the paper in his hands.

"The letter is as follows:

To the King,

Consider this my official bid for a Red Banquet. Know that your long reign will soon come to an end. Your sun is setting, King, and the darkness that follows will smother you and your Firebrand's bright light. If you have the guts to face me, raise your flag.

Signed Seirei Teruya."

Kirishima adjusted his glasses upon finishing his recitation. His lord appeared unperturbed, though he knew there was at least one part of the letter that must have ruffled him.

"What is your opinion of this, Kirishima?"

"Though the seal on the envelope indicates that this is a man of notable power, I still feel this is likely a matter of little concern. I believe that no other man poses a threat to you. That said," Kirishima paused to consider his next words, "That he mentions 'your Firebrand' does trouble me somewhat."

"Indeed. It almost feels as though this man takes some personal interest in him. Perhaps the boy accidentally singed this man's hair on one of his botched heroic escapades." His lord let out a chuckle, though the look in his eyes was void of humor. "Regardless, it's been a while since the last Red Banquet, hasn't it? At least two years."

His lord tapped his forefinger on his desk as he considered his options. Kirishima merely watched in silence, awaiting his lord's decision. Finally, he declared, "Raise the flag."

"At once, my lord."

Kirishima turned to leave, but stopped when he heard his lord ask, "Has he turned his phone back on?"

"It still appears to be off. But we do know that he's currently in Roppongi with his friends."

His lord gave him a dismissive nod, which Kirishima took as his cue to leave. He would never vocalize this thought, but sometimes he couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the boy whom his lord had developed such an unhealthy obsession with. But when he thought of how much of a headache that boy was, he would inevitably end up feeling a little sorry for his lord as well.

* * *

Akihito downed his third water bottle in the past two hours. He had been up partying until 3AM the night before, and though it was now nearly noon, the alcohol still hadn't entirely left his system. After hearing that he was temporarily banned from any and all police cases, his friends Kou and Takato had dropped by his apartment the previous night and convinced him to go out with them. What started out as a fairly normal night of beer and karaoke ended with Kou vomiting right onto the bar after downing his tenth straight shot of Hennessey.  
And now Akihito was headed towards the police department to beg the police commissioner one last time to see the case files. He knew it was likely wasted effort, but it had worked for him a couple times in the past. He paused at an intersection and was about join the throngs of people traversing the crosswalk when something in the corner of his eye caught his attention. About a couple blocks down the street to the right of him was a pillar of black smoke with two fire trucks sitting on the road in front of it. Akihito immediately broke into a run.

Drawing closer to the spectacle, Akihito took note of the sign on the front of the burning building and realized it was a plastics factory. He spotted the Fire Chief observing the flames from a distance and sprinted to him.

"Why didn't you call me?" Akihito demanded.

The Chief only spared Akihito a glance before returning his gaze to the inferno. "Sorry, Firebrand, but even you can't do much against this one. Fire might not hurt you, but that smoke will." The Chief jerked his head at the black, carcinogenic clouds billowing through the air.

"Even if I give you a gas mask, you still won't be able to see shit in there."

"But there must be something I can do! Like, I could keep the flames near the front at bay and make sure they don't reach any of the firemen."

"Forget it. You'd just get in the way."

Akihito glowered. "I won't."

The Chief let out an exasperated sigh. "If you insist on being here, then suit up and get onto the tower ladder."

Akihito had to hold back a grin as he carried out his orders. He boarded the ladder's basket with a fireman named Mashiba. Mashiba held the water hose as Akihito used his powers to push the flames away from them and the firemen on the ground. Though his abilities allowed him to faintly sense the flames, with the smoke constantly blocking his view, it was difficult to control the flames effectively. Just as Mashiba was about to give the order to lower the ladder, an explosive boom thundered from somewhere beyond the smoke. Though he could not yet see it, Akihito felt the distinct sensation of an intense rush of heat. A backdraft was charging straight towards them with overwhelming speed. As the red flames emerged from behind the smoke, time suddenly slowed, as if Akihito were looking at the scene frame-by-frame.

Though Akihito knew he could escape the flames unscathed, Mashiba would be swallowed whole. And he could already tell that the flames were moving way too fast for him to stop. There was nothing he could do but watch the other man be engulfed by flames. Akihito knew this. And yet his heart still screamed at him to do something, anything to save him. Moving on pure instinct, Akihito lifted his arms in front of him, his palms stretched mere inches away from the encroaching flames. For a brief moment, Akihito saw white. He felt a huge jolt of energy travel into his palm, tshen disperse throughout his body. Akihito had never felt such a gigantic amount of energy in him before. It was so overwhelming that it felt as though it might disintegrate every cell in his body. At long last, the sensation faded and when his vision cleared, the flames were gone, as if they had disappated into thin air. When the smoke began to clear a few minutes later, he realized the fire on the ground level was mostly gone too. Only a few small flames seemed left in the entire building.

Akihito simply stared, unable to comprehend what just occurred. A slap on the back pulled him out of his daze. Mashiba was looking at him with a huge grin on his face. "Wow, kid! Why didn't you tell us earlier that you could do something like that all along?"

Akihito stared at him blankly. "I... didn't know either." He looked at his hands, still outstretched in front of him. _What... was that?_

* * *

The sun had just dipped below the horizon when Akihito turned into his neighborhood. After taking care of the few remaining flames, the firemen offered to drive him to the station so that he could clean himself up and kick back a little with the crew. His "disappearing fire" magic trick had put him back in the Chief's good graces easily enough, and he even got a little extra money in his commission. He briefly dropped by the police station afterwards, but despite the praise received for his work with the fire, the police commissioner still refused to involve him with the case.

While heading out of the police station, Akihito overheard a couple officers whispering about a rumor that alarmed him so much, he nearly hopped the nearest train to Ginza to confirm it. He regained his sanity before he could act on that impulse and snuffed the thought from his mind. It was a waste to spend even a second worrying over that arrogant man when his own life was such a mess. Besides, even if the rumor were true, there was nothing he could do about it.

Putting such thoughts on the backburner, Akihito yawned, eager to lie in his bed and turn in early for the night. He wondered if the fire disappearing trick he pulled earlier in the day was the cause for his unusual sleepiness. He looked down at his hands. Was that just a fluke? Or was it some kind of untapped power? He considered getting up a little early the next day to test it out.

Upon reaching the front door of his apartment building, Akihito blanched when he saw a familiar figure waiting for him in the lobby. Steeling his nerves, he stepped into the room.

"It seems you've been busy lately, Akihito. Too busy to answer your cellphone, at least."

Akihito glared at the man, but continued to make a beeline for the elevator. "So keeping tabs on me from a distance wasn't enough, huh? Are you personally stalking me now?"

"How else can I see you when you avoid my calls?"

Akihito stared at the illuminated number above the elevator, which seemed currently stuck on floor ten. He almost jumped when he felt the other man's lips brush against his earlobe, breath tickling his hair. "Is life as a 'hero-for-hire' treating you well, my little Firebrand?"  
Akihito stepped away as he leveled another annoyed glare at the man. "Don't call me that! You know I hate it. And I should ask you the same. How is life as an evil sociopath treating you, Asami?"

"Fairly well, actually."

Akihito scoffed. "I wouldn't be so sure, not if the rumors are true."

Asami raised an elegant eyebrow, more amusement than curiosity shining in his eyes. "Oh?"

"I overheard some police officers talking about it at the station today. 'The Blood King raised his flag, declaring the first Red Banquet in years.'" Akihito looked Asami in the face. His expression hadn't changed. "Is that true?"

Asami studied Akihito for a moment before responding, "Yes."

Unwanted nervousness fluttered in Akihito's chest. "Who's the challenger?"

"All I know is that the name he currently goes by is Seirei Teruya and that he's a native Okinawan. Kirishima is attempting to gather more information, though the task is proving surprisingly difficult."

"You don't know his power?"

"No."

"Yet you seem confident."

"Over ten years as King says I have reason to be."

Akihito resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Asami was such a pompous ass. But even Akihito had to admit, he did have a point. "Well, it's true that whatever power this man does have, it can't be even half as demeaning and unfair as your power is. But even if you're not worried about the fight itself, considering how public this whole thing is, don't be surprised if the police show up on the day of to haul your ass to jail."

"It might hurt you to hear this, Akihito, but the police will know and they will do nothing." The certainty in Asami's voice sent a chill down Akihito's spine. "No, I'm not worried about the police nor the Red Banquet. But what does worry me are these meetings you've been having with that mysterious informant of yours. Naming the next victim when even the police cannot? You have to wonder who his sources are."

Not this again. Akihito opened his mouth to bark back some glib response, when a sharp ding announced the arrival of the, thankfully empty, elevator. Akihito stepped inside and pushed the button for the seventh floor, not at all surprised when Asami crept in with him. With a sudden swiftness, Asami strode forward, forcing Akihito to back away until he hit the wall of the elevator. He tried to escape through the side, but Asami trapped him in the corner, caging him between his arms.

"Are you sure you really know who that man is?"

"I've already told you! He's a Chinese expatriate. He was a freelance journalist in China and now works as a translator and information broker in the expat community."

"Yes, you have told me all that, and it still sounds extremely suspicious. Do you even know what he was expatriated for?"

"No. You might not be aware of this, but normal people don't butt into other people's business like that!"

The elevator sounded a second ding! and the doors opened to the seventh floor. Akihito tried to force his way out, but Asami wrapped his arms around him and pushed him against the wall with a hard thud.

"Asami!"

"Tell me that you won't meet with him."

"No way!"

"Akihito-"

"Despite what you might think, you don't own me, Asami! You can't dictate who I can and can't meet with!"  
Asami's eyes hardened and Akihito instinctively steeled himself. He nearly flinched when Asami finally moved, but he only leaned forward to bury his face in the nape of Akihito's neck. Missing his chance to leave, the elevator door closed shut.

"Why can't you, for once, just indulge my desire to keep you safe?"

Asami gently pressed his lips against his neck, and Akihito softened in his arms. Despite himself, he felt some of his outrage wilt at the other man's words.

"Asami... just trust me. I guess you do have reason to be suspicious, but I promise he isn't going to hur-aah!" Akihito let out a startled yelp as he felt Asami bite him on the tender flesh of his neck. Akihito's eyes flitted to the elevator door, praying to the gods that the doors wouldn't fly open for some unsuspecting passenger.

"Asami! Geez, what are you... mmph." Akihito let out a sound closer to a moan as Asami sucked hard on a sensitive spot above his collarbone. Akihito reflexively leaned into the touch, his hands raking up Asami's chest to circle around the back of his neck. Asami's mouth trailed across his jawline and hovered just above his slightly parted lips, Asami's tongue darting out to probe the small opening, demanding entrance.

 _Ohhhh fuck it_ , Akihito thought. He pushed all objections to a small corner of his mind and gave into the demand, letting Asami in fully, losing himself in the feel of Asami's tongue entwined with his.

Lips still locked and keeping one arm curled around his waist, Asami's free hand snaked down Akihito's back and into his jeans. Asami stroked his palm against the curve of Akihito's asscheek, his thumb caressing the soft, smooth skin it found there, before roughly squeezing it. Akihito arched his back in reply, his lascivious moan muffled by the other man's mouth.

Asami broke their kiss and looked down to admire Akihito's moist lips and his pleasure-addled gaze. "You become more and more pliant with our every encounter, my Akihito."

Asami leaned down for another kiss. But Asami's words drudged up a memory buried in Akihito's subconscious. Regaining clarity, Akihito's eyes quickly reassumed their previous indignance. He jerked his hand down to intercept Asami's kiss inches before it could connect. "Wait a minute..."

Akihito stared into Asami's eyes and saw a glint of amusement shining in them, confirming his suspicions. He grit his teeth, and gathering his strength, he wriggled out of Asami's embrace and roughly pushed him away.

"You...! I remember now! You did this to me once before! You're just trying to butter me up so that I'll agree not to see Feilong tomorrow!"

Asami half-turned away from Akihito before letting out a soft chuckle, only making Akihito even angrier.

"God, I can't believe you! You manipulative bastard! That's the last time I'm ever letting you make me feel bad with that 'I just want to keep you safe' line! You still think you can play me... but you can't!"

Unable to think of a more clever comeback, Akihito pushed past Asami and pressed the open door button, furiously marching out once the doors let him loose. Shooting one last glare at his lover, Akihito yelled, "And you're NOT allowed into my apartment!" Then stomped through the hallway to his unit.

Asami still wore a faint smile as the elevators closed on him once more. He pressed the button for the ground floor and casually leaned against the wall of the elevator as it descended. Reaching into his suit pocket, he pulled out a worn, brightly colored cellphone. Upon activating it, he encountered the lock screen and paused for a moment before recalling the passcode and entering it in.  
His eyes widened in surprise, which then quickly morphed into self-satisfaction, upon seeing that the phone's home screen background was a stolen picture of himself sleeping. Feeling rather smug, he made his way to the contacts list, his high deflated somewhat upon seeing the name Arrogant Bastard attached to his cell number. Making his way further down the list, he finally came upon the name he was searching for.

Feilong.


	2. now does our world descend [part II]

It was 11AM and Akihito finally felt on the verge of figuring it out. He was at an abandoned lot at the edge of the city limits, where the number of people milling about was considerably less dense than in the inner city. It had been about three hours since he first set the small fire in front of him and he had not yet succeeded in replicating whatever trick he had used to subdue the fire the previous day.

According to Mashiba, whom Akihito had questioned in the truck as they drove to the fire station, the fire just seemed to "disappear." And so, Akihito had spent most of the morning trying to make the fire disappear, to no avail. He then decided to instead focus on the strange way he felt right before the fire disappeared. Usually when Akihito used any one of his abilities, he felt energy burst out of him, like jolts of electricity from all over his body shooting outwards through his palms. But yesterday was the exact opposite; he had felt the energy flowing inwards from his palm, then through the rest of his body. Rather than "disappear," maybe he had sucked the fire in like a vacuum.

Akihito tried to simply do the opposite of what he normally did, but that was easier said than done. Shooting out fire came naturally to him. When he was a kid, it happened even when he didn't want it to. But how in the world could he suck fire in? Was it like inhaling through his hands instead of his mouth?

Sighing, he sat down on a nearby cinderblock and stared at the cheery little fire in the center of the lot. On a whim, he stretched out both hands towards the fire and gathered energy in his palms, the same way he would when charging up a big attack. He concentrated on the familiar feeling of energy crackling through him. When the energy gathered was almost too big to contain, Akihito took a deep breath, and forced all the energy in his palms back inwards. At first, the stream of energy was completely still, as if frozen, but after a few seconds, the energy slowly begun to flow in reverse. The more time passed, the faster he felt himself sucking the energy back in. When he drained the last bits of it from his palms, Akihito switched his attention to the fire. He felt a sudden surge of energy rush into him, as though a jar lid had popped open and the contents were now gushing forth.

Though it lasted less than a second, Akihito saw it very clearly this time. The fire almost seemed to collapse into itself, like a sheet of paper crumpling into a ball. In an instant, the small fire had been reduced to literally nothing. Hands still outstretched, Akihito gaped down at where the fire once was. Then the euphoria hit him all at once, and he jumped up and whooped for joy, pumping his fist into the air at his success.

"Hey, that was pretty damn cool! I didn't even know that was possible."

Akihito stiffened. It wasn't a voice he recognized. Turning to confront this stranger, he was met with a mop of velvet red hair and a lopsided grin. He looked to be someone in his late 20's. He jumped over the fence surrounding the perimeter and sauntered over, stopping several feet in front of Akihito.

"Maybe this will be more interesting than I thought," the stranger continued, giving Akihito the once-over.

Akihito warily eyed the man in return. "Umm... do you have some kind of business with me?"

"I do." The man smirked, looking Akihito straight in the eye. The guy was really starting to weird him out. He didn't look like a creep per say, hell he was actually kind of cute. But his expression was unnerving, predatory even.

"And who are you exactly?"

"Seirei Teruya."

Akihito instantly recalled his conversation with Asami the night before. Seirei Teruya, the challenger of the forthcoming Red Banquet. A shiver ran down Akihito's spine and he instinctively took several steps away from the man.

A carefree laugh escaped Teruya's lips. "Calm down, will you? I'm not here to kidnap you or anything underhanded like that."

Despite the reassurance, Akihito kept his distance.

"Well, I understand if you don't trust me. And to be honest," Teruya said, his eyes narrowing slightly, "I can't say I'm not tempted to try you out a little."  
  
Akihito stared at the other man as he wondered over the meaning of his words, when Teruya suddenly vanished into thin air. Akihito's eyes widened in shock. He frantically scanned his surroundings, searching for where the man could have possibly gone. He heard a soft rustle from behind and spun around, extending his arm mid-swing to let a jet of flame spurt forth from his hand, as if from a powerful blowtorch. Just as the flames were about to reach their target, Teruya vanished once more. Prepared for it this time, Akihito immediately pivoted and turned to look behind him. Teruya was now a good twenty feet away from him. Akihito fired a quick volley of small fireballs at him, but just as each attack was about to hit their mark, Teruya would disappear again only to pop up in a completely different spot.

Soon the entire lot the two were fighting in was peppered with flames. Akihito had lost count of how many times his opponent had effortlessly dodged his every attempt at hurting him. What unnerved Akihito the most was the fact that Teruya had not once attacked back despite countless opportunities to do so. Just as Akihito thought he had once more lost sight of Teruya, his face suddenly blocked his entire field of vision. He had teleported not five inches in front of Akihito. Fear and panic spiked in Akihito's chest all at once. In a desperate attempt to defend himself, he balled his fist, fire erupting around it like an extra layer of skin. He swung an uppercut aimed straight for Teruya's chin, which he easily evaded by jumping backwards. Akihito immediately closed the gap and followed up with a straight right punch. Teruya teleported once again, but not before Akihito managed to scorch the sleeve of Teruya's shirt with his fist. When Teruya reappeared several yards away, he lifted his hands up in a sign of submission.

"Alright, I give! I won't attack anymore, so relax, okay? I just wanted to play with you a little."

Akihito refused to drop his guard. Rooted to his spot, he carefully eyed Teruya's every move as he sat onto a large cinderblock several feet away. Teruya waved one arm, gesturing to the area around them.

"Aren't you going to put out these fires? You could use that trick you were practicing earlier."

Seeing that Akihito would not accede to make any move that might weaken his defenses, Teruya sighed in mock exasperation and said, "Then I guess I'll make this quick." He leaned forward and regarded Akihito with a tilt of his head before continuing, "You know, you really surprised me. I expected you to be some pampered little thing that could shoot out a few embers, but you've really got the goods. This only makes me even more curious about you."

Akihito raised an eyebrow, finally willing himself to speak. "You're curious about me? Cut the crap already. If you're going to ask me about the King, then just do it."

A look of surprise crossed Teruya's face before being quickly overtaken by one of amusement. "If that's what you think, then you underestimate just how interesting you are, Firebrand."

"And if you think I'll seriously believe that you came here just to flatter me, then you _over_ estimate just how gullible I am."

Teruya threw his head back in laughter. The sight of it only served to put Akihito even more on edge. "Believe it or not, it's the truth. Despite what you might think, I'm a pretty straightforward guy. I don't think I even have the talent to trick you into telling me about the King. But feel free to doubt me. It doesn't matter either way." Teruya smirked. He propped an arm up on his leg and rested his head on his palm. "Think about it this way, Firebrand. Out of all the people who were born with these powers, you're part of the minority that has made it their life mission to use their abilities to help people. And yet an upstanding guy like yourself decided to shack up with the Blood King of all people? Who _wouldn't_ find you two curious?"

Teruya's words made Akihito feel strangely irritated. He scowled. "It's not anyone else's business who I decide to shack up with. I don't have to explain anything to you."

"No need to get so defensive! I'm just trying to understand you a little better. After all, I need to figure out what to do with you once I'm King. You definitely can't be my lover. No offense or anything, but I'm just not into dudes. I was planning to execute you with your King, but now I'm thinking that would be a waste. I suppose it would only be proper to give you the chance to avenge your fallen master, though judging by our little fight just now, I wouldn't recommend it."

 _What the hell? Who does this guy think he is?_ Akihito's chest burned with anger. By the time he even thought to reconsider his choice of words, they had already escaped his mouth. "You as King? Don't kid yourself. With Asami around, that'll never happen."

For the first time, all traces of affability vanished from Teruya's expression, his enmity showing in his furrowed brow. "'Asami,' huh? You know, for a servant, you're surprisingly attached."

"I'm not his-'

"You're not his servant? Then what are you? His equal?"

"Is that really so hard to believe?"

"Of course it is!  You've really deluded yourself, haven't you? Kings have no equals. I don't normally interfere in business that's not my own, but you've really got to face up to reality, man."

Akihito glared. He still didn't get what this guy's angle was, but he'd be damned if he wasn't going to find out. "You're right," Akihito finally responded, "It isn't your business. And now that you've interrogated me, I've got a few questions of my own."

"Really now?" Teruya's face finally regained its grin. "I guess that's fair. Ask away."

"Are you really so confident you'll win the Red Banquet? You must know how strong Asami is. Everyone else is so scared that no one has challenged him for years, and I can't blame them. Fighting him is basically suicide for most people."

"I can tell you already that I'm not most people. But... if I were to be completely honest, I'm not totally confident that I'll win. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if the odds are against me."

Akihito was genuinely stunned by his response. The man in front of him was one of the few people Akihito had ever met who was possibly even more reckless than himself. "Are you serious? If you think you might not win, then why the hell did you challenge him? You do know that the loser almost always dies, right? If you just want Asami's money, then I'll tell you right now that there are much better ways to get rich."

"Do I honestly seem like the type of guy who would kill myself for a little money? I don't care about any of that crap. I just want to fight him. And if I end up dying because I'm too weak to win, then that's the price I pay."

Akihito stared at the other man, incredulous. Teruya had a slightly distant look on his face, as though he were pondering something. After a brief and heavy silence, Teruya asked, "Why were we given these powers? It's a question I've been asking myself for as long as I can remember. I'm sure at some point in your life, you've asked yourself the same thing."

Teruya's words rang brutally true. Akihito had lost count of how many times he had asked that question as a child. A wealth of painful memories began to rise unbidden from the recesses of Akihito's subconscious. Akihito ruthlessly caged them before they could be allowed to roam free.

Receiving no response, Teruya continued, "After fighting countless people, those with and without powers, I realized that our abilities don't make us strong. We have these abilities _because_ we are strong. The idiots who hide their powers and try to fit in with 'normal' society have it all wrong. We're meant to be better than normal. We're meant to fight stronger and stronger opponents, to test ourselves to our limits." He punched his fist to his palm, his face taking on a more savage expression. "The way I see it, I've finally made it to the championship game. There's no way anything could make me back down now."

Teruya radiated confidence, so much so that Akihito couldn't help but wish that he were as confident in his own potential. Aware now that Teruya really was as straightforward as he claimed, Akihito finally dropped his guard, letting his arms fall to his sides. "As persuasive as that little speech was, I still can't say that I agree with your way of thinking."

Teruya flashed a small smile. "I figured as much. From the looks of things, your answer to why you were given your powers is very different from mine." His face took on a more serious look as he added, "And I'd be willing to bet that the Blood King has come to a completely different conclusion from either of us."

Teruya pushed himself up to his feet and stretched his arms. "In any case, I've changed my mind. Regardless of the outcome of the fight, you are definitely a man worthy of keeping alive."

"If I were you, I would worry about my own survival first."

Teruya chuckled. "Whatever, man." He paused, as though remembering something. "One last thing before I go. You should really think about widening your horizons, especially if Asami Ryuichi remains King. Someone like you shouldn't stay under another man's thumb your whole life."

Akihito sent him a perplexed look, which Teruya responded to with a grin. "I guess I should let you clean up these fires before someone reports you for arson. It was nice meeting you, Firebrand." And a second later, he was gone.

* * *

Akihito had requested that they meet someplace different from their usual haunt. Feilong received a text from him earlier in the day explaining that he had a morning meeting with another contact just a few miles away from Feilong's apartment in Ikebukuro. He then suggested that the two of them just meet up at the place the contact was staying in. The address Akihito sent Feilong led him to a high-class hotel, one that was primarily occupied by wealthy tourists. A distinct sense of dread blossomed in Feilong's chest immediately upon entering the establishment, a feeling which only worsened when two hotel bodyguards addressed him as "Feilong-sama" and all but ordered him to follow their lead. They escorted him to a private suite on the top floor of the building. Before even entering the room, Feilong was well-aware that the man waiting for him inside was not Akihito.

The guards opened the door for him, then quickly retreated back to the hallway. Feilong felt a nostalgic tension engulf him as he stepped into the room. He approached the man who summoned him with the utmost caution. "I suppose I should have foreseen this. In retrospect, I did think it was a little strange for Akihito to text instead of call."

"I'm sure you did foresee the two of us eventually meeting like this. After all, you've made no effort to conceal your identity from me, Dragon King."

Feilong's eyes narrowed to slits. "I no longer answer to that name. If you expect for this to be a meeting between two Kings, Asami, then you will be sorely disappointed."

Asami smirked and gestured for the other man to sit in the armchair across from him. "On the contrary, I'm already rather pleased. I half-expected for you to still be the inept, neurotic wreck you were when we last met. You still recall that, don't you? About twenty months ago, in Hong Kong? Certainly you seem more sane now than you did back then."

Asami's taunt summoned unwelcome memories in Feilong's mind. His eyes flashed in anger. "Enough of this prattle. Why have you called me here?"

"You know why you're here. You have designs on my property." The two men shed all affectations of goodwill, leaving only naked hostility between them.

Feilong's laugh was sharp and humorless. "And exactly what 'designs' do you think I have?"

"You aim for my throne, perhaps, using the boy as a hostage?"

"You can't honestly believe that. And even if that were the case, you should know that I would not choose such a shameful and roundabout method."

"Who am I to presume to understand the mind of a madman?"

The insult did not anger Feilong. In fact, he seemed almost amused. "You accuse _me_ of being mad? How the pot calls the kettle black. Even with your strong mental defenses, I can still sense how heavily the thought of your lover weighs on your mind. You've developed quite the fixation, haven't you?" Feilong smirked as he noticed a small twitch in Asami's brow. "Poor Akihito. Though I do admit, I can see why you're so taken by his charms. He's quite remarkable, your boy. He thinks he's something tiny when he's actually a giant."

The underlying venom in Asami's voice quelled somewhat, pride burning just beneath the surface of his strong gaze. "A fitting description. It seems you are still occasionally capable of making accurate judgments of character."

"I'm capable of much more than that, as you know. Akihito is quite the open book. With a little prying, it's surprisingly easy for me to peek at his deepest, most private thoughts, including the sizable depths of his passion. Considering how tightlipped he is with expressing his feelings, it would not be such a stretch to say that I know his love for you better than you ever will. Ironic, isn't it?"

The two men locked eyes, Feilong's gaze impudent and Asami's livid. Feilong could see that the other man was beginning to slowly unravel.

"You don't seem to understand the position you're in, Feilong, so allow me to remind you. I could kill you with a thought if I so desired. I've been extremely tolerant of you so far, likely to a fault."

"Are you certain you are truly in a position to be making such threats? In my eyes, you should be on your knees in gratitude. After all, I have graciously decided not to share all of what I know with Akihito."

Asami carefully considered Feilong's words, his face impassive. "What have you told him?"

"I've only given Akihito the information he's asked of me. Nothing else."

"How courteous of you. And you expect me to believe that you truly have no ulterior motives? That you're merely helping the boy out of some newfound sense of altruism?"

"I do. I bear no ill intentions towards Akihito. But I already know your possessiveness will deny you from seeing the truth in my words."

Asami leaned back into his armchair, as though attempting to widen their distance as he scrutinized the other man. After a thoughtful pause, Asami asked, "If your intentions are as benign as you say, then why haven't you disclosed your true abilities to him?"

Feilong, now lounging comfortably in his own chair, easily retorted, "And if you are so certain of my guilt, then why haven't _you_?"

After the terse exchange, the two considered the other in cold silence, two prowling predators facing off in the dark. After an unbearably lengthy stretch of time, Feilong sighed, his aggravation apparent in his creased brow. "This is a waste of time. As you're well aware, there is another person who was expecting to meet me right now. You will not hold me hostage here and make me suffer through more of your groundless, petty accusations."

Feilong lifted himself to his feet. Just as he was about to turn to leave, Feilong felt something in his mind shatter. It was as if a tidal wave of sheer, crushing power had crashed into his mental defenses, almost obliterating them in one strike. Feilong managed to stabilize himself before being completely overpowered by the attack. He deposited all of his strength into what remained of his crippled defenses. The strain of it alone forced  Feilong's legs to give. He fell to his hands and knees, inadvertently prostrating himself to the other man.

Asami looked down at the bowed figure with a mocking smile. "For you to try to turn your back on an opponent in the middle of a fight. Retirement must have made you careless."

Feilong tried to spit back an enraged response, only to find that he physically could not. He could not even move his jaw without tremendous effort. Feilong had made a grave miscalculation. The Asami of the present-day was strong, much stronger than he remembered.

"Listen carefully, Feilong." The tone of Asami's voice contained a darkness in it that chilled him to the bone. He felt suddenly thankful that he could not lift his head to see the other man's face. "Whether I trust you or not is ultimately irrelevant. Regardless of your intentions, your powers pose a threat large enough to warrant even my alarm."

Asami tapped a finger on the leather arm of his seat, running through several options in his mind. Feilong remained frozen at his feet. "If I were to be perfectly logical in handling this situation," Asami thought aloud, "Then prudence dictates that I should just dispose of you. But my instinct tells me that dealing with the aftermath of such an action might be a bigger burden than I imagine. And there are other things to consider..."

As if on cue, a shrill ring echoed throughout the room. Asami's eyes narrowed once he realized the sound emanated from Feilong's pocket.

The phone rang a second and third time before Asami, with a defeated sigh, released his hold over Feilong. Feilong almost collapsed onto the floor, his body suddenly feeling so weak that he was barely able to hold himself up. It were as though Asami had stolen his weight from him and had just now given it all back.

After regaining his shaky breath, he dared himself to glance up at Asami, who looked back at him expressionlessly. Making certain not to take his eyes off the other man, Feilong reached for his phone, answering it with the press of a button.

"Hey! Sorry I'm running so late," said a familiar voice, "I was practicing something new near my apartment and had some trouble putting out a couple fires."

"Akihito?"

Asami did not give the slightest reaction to hearing his lover's name. It were as though he anticipated it.

"Yeah, it's me. Oh, I forgot to mention, I'm calling from a payphone right now. I seemed to have misplaced my cell somewhere... maybe I left it at the station yesterday. Anyway, I should be there in about fifteen minutes. Sorry again!"

"It's alright. I'm actually running a bit late myself."

"Really? I guess we've both run into some unexpected trouble, huh?"

"Indeed," Feilong responded dryly, the dark humor of the situation lost on the boy. "I'll try to be there as soon as I can."

"Okay. See you soon!"

Asami stood up from his seat as soon as the call ended and made his way to the door. Resting his hand on the doorknob, he half-turned to address Feilong one last time. "Think very carefully on what you choose to do from here onwards. And know that if you cross me, I will break you in an instant." The door opened soundlessly, then closed with a click.

Feeling the stress mercifully leave his body, Feilong flopped onto the nearest couch with an uncharacteristic inelegance and allowed himself a moment's rest. Reflecting upon it now, he was genuinely surprised to have escaped the meeting shaken, but unscathed. Perhaps the man really had changed.

Deciding to take Asami's advice, he stared at the ceiling as he pondered what he owed Akihito and what he needed to do next.

* * *

Akihito glanced at the clock on the wall for the third time in the past five minutes. He had been waiting at the cafe for the past twenty minutes now, after he himself arrived half an hour late, and there was still no sign of Feilong. Though Akihito reasoned he was probably worrying needlessly, his gut still told him that something was wrong. Feilong was never late. Even if he walked from Ikebukuro, it would only take about half an hour. Just as Akihito was about to jump up and ask the staff if he could use a telephone, he spotted Feilong walking towards the shop from a distance. The uneasiness in his chest abated.

"Feilong! I was just about to call you again. Did something bad happen? Are you okay? Do you want to just reschedule this meeting?"

Feilong smiled as the younger man assaulted him with questions. He took the seat across from him, wincing as the movement caused an unexpected pain to shoot through his limbs. "I'm fine, Akihito. A meeting with a client dragged on far longer than I had anticipated. I apologize."

"Oh. It's okay. I understand." Akihito smiled, though the unsettled feeling from earlier crept back into the pit of his stomach. Though Feilong did not appear to have been harmed, he look rattled, his usual air of quiet poise seeming somehow diminished. Akihito quickly noted that, for whatever reason, Feilong was avoiding looking him in the eye.

"I see you made my order for me." Feilong gestured to the cup of white tea on the table in front of him.

"Ah, yeah, I noticed that you always order the same thing, so I just went ahead and ordered for you. It might be kinda cold by now, though."

Akihito's eyes narrowed as he watched Feilong lift the cup to his lips with a slightly trembling hand. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I promise you that I'm alright." Feilong sent him a reassuring smile, though to Akihito, it appeared forced. Feilong was still avoiding his eyes. He gave off the impression that he had been sheltering some unseen burden all along that was only now threatening to overwhelm him.

When Akihito opened his mouth to ask Feilong one last time if he was really okay, he was interrupted by the sound of ceramic hitting wood, followed by a splash of liquid. Feilong had just picked up his cup of tea only to drop it before it reached his mouth. The two men simply stared at the fallen cup, Feilong's shaky hand still outstretched in front of him. A waiter quickly came to their table to clean up the mess.

Finally, Feilong retracted his hand. "As you can see, I've been feeling rather weak today. Perhaps I should take a long rest after this meeting."

Akihito frowned, a growing suspicion clouding his mind. Deciding he would rather risk offending Feilong than have the truth kept from him, Akihito gathered his courage and asked, "Feilong. This is a weird request, but could I please see your arm?"

Feilong looked alarmed by his question. But, with a hard look in his eyes, he eventually acquiesced. Gently holding Feilong's wrist in one hand, Akihito used his other to push back the long sleeve covering Feilong's arm. Both eyes widened at what they saw.

Several bruises dotted the length of Feilong's arm. Checking his other arm, both saw that it too was in a similar condition.

"I did not notice these until now," Feilong said with a grimace. "The bruising must have become visible only recently." He gave Akihito a pointed look. "I suppose I have no excuse to continue hiding this from you. You seem to recognize these symptoms from personal experience, yes?"

Akihito slowly nodded, eyes wide. "The shakiness, the bruising from muscle tears. The harder you resist, the more you hurt yourself." Akihito stared straight into the other man's eyes. "The person you met with earlier was..."

Everything suddenly clicked in Akihito's mind. Asami's unexpected visit the night before. His missing cellphone. Akihito clenched his first.

Without another word, he turned towards the door, a hard look in his eyes.

"Akihito, wait!" Feilong lunged forward and grabbed his arm. "I am not entirely blameless. In some ways, I deserved this. I haven't been entirely honest with you."

Akihito turned his head to look back at Feilong, whose eyes were now etched with remorse. "The person I am now, the person you see before you, is not who I was in the past. You see... the truth is-"

Feilong jerked as he felt a hand cover his. He looked up and was met with a gentle smile.

"If you've lied to me, then you definitely owe me a confession. But you don't have to tell me right this instant. I trust you."

Feilong frowned. "But-"

"The fact that you still decided to meet with me, after Asami tricked you and hurt you, is proof enough for me. That you're offering to tell the truth now only convinces me more. Whatever mistakes or crimes you might be guilty of, you can't be all _that_ bad."

Feilong stared in astonishment, mouth slightly agape. Akihito's eyes hardened once again as his thoughts shifted to another man. "And no matter how justified Asami thinks his actions are, that doesn't excuse the fact that he lied to me, stole my phone, met with you behind my back, and used his powers on you. There's no way a loudmouth like me would be able to take that in silence."

Gently prying his arm out of Feilong's grasp, Akihito again headed towards the door. He threw one last look at Feilong over his shoulder.

"Sorry to cut the meeting short, but I've got a cellphone to steal back. I'll be in touch." With a smile still gracing his lips, he stepped out.

Feilong stared at the younger man's back as he exited, breaking into a small smile of his own. He shook his head. Truly, both he and the Blood King had been blessed with good company.


	3. now does our world descend [part III]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had originally planned for this to be a longer chapter, but ran into a bit of trouble with this particular scene. I'll try to get the next part out sooner!
> 
> Thanks for reading!

"Regarding the issue of the referendum, Asami-sama... ah, well, I'm having some difficulty convincing a few of my colleagues to consider voting... differently. Some of them are rather stubborn and I-"  
  
Though the man was on speakerphone, Asami could easily imagine the man's nervous expression and the sweat beading down his balding head. He suppressed the urge to let out a weary sigh, greatly anticipating the moment he could end the tiresome exchange. The Diet was barely functional, now entirely consisting of old men bankrupt of courage or character.  
  
After just a small push, the man easily gave into his demands. As of late, Asami barely needed to put effort into negotiating anything. As much contempt as he felt for the piddling ho-hum existence of the average salaryman, he now grimly acknowledged that, when deprived of a true enemy, being the ruler of the Japanese underworld was just another grind.  
  
It almost depressed him to think that his dialogue with Feilong earlier in the day was the most interesting conversation he had had all month—and even that had been rather tame, all things considered. He could feel that primal urge pumping through his veins; he was raring for something more exciting to come along.  
  
As if on cue, he heard a commotion in the hallway beyond his office door.  Thank God, Asami thought. With a small smile, he politely excused himself from the call and hung up before the man on the other end had a chance to respond. He swung open the wide double doors of his office, greeted by the sight of Suoh in the process of restraining a very familiar young man.  
  
After some difficulty, the burly bodyguard managed to hoist Akihito up by his middle and carefully drape him over his shoulder like a rolled up carpet. Eyeing Asami, he jerked his head in the direction of the lounge. “Should he wait there?“  
  
Asami leaned against the door frame, eyes glittering with amusement as Akihito only struggled even more in his presence. “Asami! What the hell is the point of giving me security clearance to this place if I can’t even walk around on my own!”  
  
After watching Akihito wriggle around a few moments longer, he gestured for Suoh to release him. “Let him in. I’m done for the day.”  
  
Asami turned his back from the pair and made his way to the window at the other end of his office, looking down upon the bustling city far, far below. It was evening rush hour and the sidewalks were so filled that the seemingly endless mass of people appeared to be a single writhing body, its tentacles spreading through the streets of Ginza and stretching towards Tokyo Tower in the horizon.  
  
Asami heard the slam of the door, followed by loud, angry footsteps that stopped just a few feet short of him.  From the corner of his eyes, he could just make out the furrow of Akihito’s brows on the reflection of the window.  
  
“Did you attack Feilong?”  
  
A small smile tugged on Asami’s lips, almost unconsciously. His young lover, always so audacious. Since their very first meeting, Akihito had never been one to beat around the bush. Without removing his gaze from the view below, he calmly responded, “Is that an actual question or just an accusation posed as a question?”  
  
“I already know the answer. I just want to hear you say it.”  
  
Asami tore his eyes away from the window, peering over his shoulder to finally meet Akihito’s gaze. His anger was obvious, but buried just beneath it was a look of complete and utter exasperation. Asami himself acknowledged that this was far from being their first dance, and it certainly wouldn’t be their last.  
  
He stepped away from the glass and closed the distance between them, choosing to face the question head on. With Akihito, there was no merit in being dishonest once confronted. “Yes, I did.”  
  
There was no change in Akihito’s expression. The boy was now close enough to touch, the contours of his smooth pale skin almost visible beneath the sheer material of his shirt. “Why? And don’t say it’s for my own good because even you must realize by now that that’s bullshit.”  
  
Like everything else, the reply came to Asami easily. “If you see a fox sneaking towards your pet kitten, would you do nothing?  I protect what’s mine in the only way I know how.” Asami lifted his hand, brushing the backs of his fingers against the soft curve of Akihito’s cheek. His skin was always hot, as though radiating the fire that raged within.  
  
Akihito’s eyes flashed. He slapped Asami’s hand away and retreated backwards. “You should know by now that Feilong means me no harm. And if you really think of me as your pet fucking cat, you’re in for a big surprise.”  
  
Asami would’ve laughed if Akihito weren’t so damn pissed off. The boy attempted to widen the small gap that separated them, but Asami took a step forward for his every step back, until Akihito’s heel hit the bottom shelf of the bookcase that lined the wall of his office.  
  
Asami towered over him, the larger man’s shadow easily engulfing his small form. “I’ve known Feilong a long time. He has connections to people with powers you can’t even imagine. All things considered, I was very patient with him. And with you.”  
  
Akihito strained his neck to meet Asami’s eyes, his gaze never wavering. “Even so, none of that matters. It’s _my_ business, not yours. You don’t have the right to butt in like that!”  
  
“Don’t have the right? I’m a King. I don’t wait for permission.”  Asami smirked, which only infuriated Akihito further. Asami noted the small sparks of energy that had already begun crackling out from Akihito’s clenched fist—the boy was a literal ticking time bomb when upset.  
  
“You’re so damn arrogant. Is this what my life with you will be like? You constantly hovering over my every move? Threatening people I associate with whenever you please? You know I can’t live like that!”  
  
Asami’s eyes narrowed at the subtle threat hidden in his words. He knew that Akihito was just being dramatic and that he had no genuine desire to break things off, but it irritated him nonetheless. “I do know,” Asami said, with more of an edge to his voice than he would have preferred, “And I allow you as much freedom as possible. But I can’t survive on good faith alone. I’m not a trusting man, especially when dealing with things of great importance to me.”  
  
Asami noticed Akihito’s expression waver and knew his words had gotten through to him. Sealing the deal, Asami laid his hand atop Akihito’s chest without warning and used his fingers to trace the silver chain of the necklace hidden under his lover’s shirt. He felt Akihito immediately stiffen under his touch. “You can relate, can’t you? You would do anything to keep the people you love safe.”  
  
Akihito’s eyes widened, and through them, Asami could see that his words had eased some of his anger.  
  
Akihito looked away then, opting to redirect his stare towards the window. Asami could tell from the weak orange glow filtering through the glass that the sun had begun its descent. “Yeah, I can relate,” Akihito said. “I don’t think I’d ever resort to the crazy stuff you pull, but I do understand that feeling.” After a pause, he continued, “But don’t think that I don’t understand what you just did. That was manipulative as hell.”  
  
This time, Asami did laugh. Even he felt a slight pang of guilt at using Akihito’s precious memento to his advantage. “Well, I am an ‘evil sociopath’ after all.”  
  
“You totally are,” Akihito replied, his voice now lacking its indignant tone, “You’re manipulative and cruel, and you don’t trust anyone. Not even me.”  
  
“Considering the innumerable times I’ve allowed you into my private quarters, I’d say I trust you plenty.”  
  
“I don’t mean it like that.” Akihito’s eyes shifted, though he still refrained from looking Asami in the face. “I mean that you don’t trust me the way you trust Kirishima or Suoh. Isn’t that why you’re always watching over me like a hawk? You obviously don’t think I’m strong enough to protect myself.”  
  
Akihito crossed his arms defensively, his front teeth unconsciously nibbling at his bottom lip. Ah, Asami thought as he felt a switch click in his mind. No wonder the boy had been so testy the past couple weeks. He gently pinched Akihito’s chin between his thumb and the knuckle of his forefinger, and lifted his head, forcing him to meet his gaze once more. His expression had softened, though a crease remained between his brows. And as always, once those eyes bore into his, Asami found himself incapable of looking away.  
  
“I don’t think of you as weak, if that’s what you’re suggesting. You need protection precisely because you are strong.” He loosened his hold on Akihito’s chin, instead using the pad of his thumb to gently caress the soft pink flesh of the boy’s bottom lip. Asami couldn’t help but smile when the small gesture caused Akihito to tremble, ever so slightly. “You’re more famous than you realize,” Asami continued, “And the greater the attention, the higher the risk. Even Kings need bodyguards for that exact reason.”  
  
He felt Akihito relax into his touch, his lips lightly pressing against his prodding thumb. “So what does that make you? My messed up guardian angel?”  
  
 “Something like that.” In an attempt to appease the boy, Asami added, “Though even guardian angels can afford to take a break every so often. I can’t say I’m comfortable with it, but for now, I’m willing to overlook Feilong’s presence here. He appears to have arrived here unaccompanied, so he should pose no immediate threat.”  
  
Akihito raised a brow at his cryptic words, though he chose to say no more on the subject.  
  
Asami made a move to withdraw to his desk, intending to give the boy some time to sort out his emotions—which Asami long ago realized Akihito needed quite often, lest he fireproof everything he owned to protect them from his lover’s hormonal tantrums.  
  
He stopped in surprise when he felt Akihito grab his wrist and pull him back in, burying his face in the lapel of his suit. “Why did it have to be you?” He muttered, his voice muffled by the fabric. “You must be the most exhausting person on the planet. I feel like I’m going crazy.”  
  
Asami lightly pressed his mouth against Akihito’s scalp, breathing in his lover’s scent. “I could say the same for you.”  
  
Akihito leaned back just far enough to peek up at the curve of Asami’s jaw just above his forehead. Gently fisting the folds of his suit, Akihito pulled him downwards, shyly parting his lips in an open invitation. Asami gladly accepted, using his tongue to spread his lips even further apart before taking his young lover’s mouth with an eagerness rivaling that of strangers touching one another for the very first time. Asami could feel Akihito press his weight against his chest, his skin feverishly hot, as though his entire body were reacting to the kiss.  
  
For a fleeting moment, Asami mused over the fact that his young, impulsive lover was now demanding intimacy when he seemed all but ready to throttle him just minutes earlier. But he soon retreated to that inner sanctum where all rational thought fled, leaving only touch, and sounds, and raw desire to occupy his mind.  
  
By the time he returned to himself, the stars had long since usurped the sun’s place in the sky, leaving the sleeping boy bundled in his arms as the only remaining source of warmth in the cold, dark city.


	4. now does our world descend [part IV]

_“Aki-kun! Hold my hand or you’ll get lost in the crowd.”_  
  
_Akihito ran to his mother’s side as fast as his little legs could carry him. The last few rays of sunlight had just dipped below the horizon, and all the townspeople were heading to the river’s edge._  
  
_The lantern festival was Akihito’s favorite time of year. He loved the food, and the lights, and even the funny dances the old people performed.  The only part he didn’t like was wearing the heavy, itchy yukata that made him sweat a lot and took forever to put on. He would’ve rather worn his normal clothing, but to his horror, his mom had bought them a pair of matching white yukata sets with embroidered purple flowers that were as big as his face._  
  
_He was pouting when he left the house, but his spirits lifted once his mom bought him a big cup of shaved ice. And then a second cup. And a third._  
  
_“Do you have any room in that tummy of yours for real food?” His mom tried to give him a grilled corn on the cob, but Akihito defiantly turned his face away, opting to instead nibble on some dango a shopkeeper had given him for free._  
  
_When it came time to light the lanterns, a crowd of kids pushed and shoved their way to Akihito, demanding that he light their lanterns first. The crowd oohed and aahed as the lanterns magically lit up one by one, a small delicate flame alighting each candle he pointed at._  
  
_Akihito lit his own lantern last and carefully balanced it on the water’s surface. He gave it a push to start it off and the gentle current carried it the rest of the way._  
  
_Soon the flames dotted the entire width of the black river, like a warped reflection of the stars burning in the night sky. “Look, mom!” Akihito shouted, pointing at the spectacle and jumping in excitement._  
  
_He failed to notice the short staircase at the edge of his heel and jumped too close to it, losing his balance and tumbling the short distance to the bottom step. His eyes moistened immediately as he felt a slight stinging pain in his palms._  
  
_His mother asked if he was okay, and Akihito shook his head, eyes brimming with tears. He showed her his upturned hands, which had turned red from the impact. “Don’t worry,” his mother said with a smile, “I’ll kiss the booboo and make all the pain go away.”_  
  
_She kissed both his palms, and though the scratches still hurt, he somehow did feel a little better. “Even my butt hurts because I fell on it,” Akihito whined with a sniffle._  
  
_With a mischievous gleam, his mom replied, “Then I’ll just have to kiss that too!”_  
  
_“Moooooooom, that’s grosssssss!” he groaned, squirming in reflexive disgust._  
  
_With a laugh like a light summer breeze, his mother circled her arms around his tiny body and settled for a kiss on the forehead._

* * *

Akihito could feel the sunlight bearing down on his closed eyelids. He attempted to hide his face into his pillow, but quickly realized that his head was resting on some _one_ rather than some _thing_. Using his hand as a shield from the light, he slowly peeked through one eye and was greeted by Asami’s face mere inches away from his.  
  
“It’s 9AM,” Asami said, as though in response to an unvoiced question. “Don’t you usually start heading to the police station around this time?”  
  
Akihito made a garbled noise that nearly resembled human speech before burying his face into the crevice formed between Asami’s back and the silk covered mattress.  
  
He felt Asami chuckle, the low rumble emanating from deep within his chest. “Have you not been sleeping well?”  
  
Akihito braved the sunlight to peek up at Asami through slitted eyes. “Yeah, and whose fault is that?”  
  
“I can’t take credit for all your late night escapades. We’ve hardly even seen each other these past few weeks.”  
  
Akihito rolled onto his back and stretched, groaning as the pleasant soreness of his muscles reminded him of the previous night’s activities. He glanced around the room, absorbing his surroundings for the first time. He distinctly remembered falling asleep in Asami’s office, but he had obviously been relocated sometime during the night.  
  
Judging by the beauty and intimacy of the room’s furnishings, he was most likely in one of Asami’s private chambers. But the uppermost floors had enough chambers to fill a mansion, and the décor changed often enough that Akihito could never distinguish one room from another. The most distinct object of this particular chamber was a framed mural on the wall adjacent to the door, which depicted the sun goddess Amaterasu bringing light and heat to the world.  
  
He felt Asami loosely wrap his arm over his waist and curl up against his side, the taut, sculpted muscle of Asami’s chest pressing against Akihito’s considerably more pliant body. “How is that investigation of yours going?”  
  
“You already know that it isn’t going anywhere,” Akihito answered, accenting the remark with an annoyed puff of air from his nostrils. In the days since the encounter at the fish market, he had made zero progress in finding the murderer. It was like the man had vanished without a trace.  
  
He could feel Asami’s eyes studying his face, and he pointedly returned the stare with a raised brow. “What?”  
  
“I’m well aware that it’s not in your nature to let things go, but there are plenty of other criminals in Tokyo. You needn’t go after the big fish every time.”  
  
“That’s true,” Akihito replied, his mouth stretching into a cheeky grin, “After all, I’ve already caught the biggest fish in Japan. The 400 kilogram tuna of the Tokyo underworld.”  
  
Asami’s eyes widened in surprise before he let out a low, warm chuckle, which automatically caused Akihito’s lips to curve into a small smile. He liked making Asami laugh, and he noticed that it had been happening more frequently in recent months.  
  
“So I was your prey all along?”  
  
“Yup. You thought I was an innocent little boy, but I’ve really just been baiting you this whole time.”  
  
With a faint smile lingering on his lips, Asami unlatched his arm from Akihito’s waist. Asami used his knuckles to slowly trace the curve of his jaw, gazing at Akihito with an oddly gentle expression that made his chest tighten with nervousness.  
  
Asami leaned forward to close the short gap between their lips, and Akihito’s body reflexively tensed in preparation for his lover’s deep, breath-stealing kisses. His eyes fluttered open in shock when he instead felt Asami lightly press his lips against his, the touch so soft that Akihito barely felt it. After a tentative pause, Asami’s tongue darted out to lick across the peaks of Akihito’s upper lip before withdrawing.  
  
_What the hell was that?_ Akihito asked himself. He looked up at Asami questioningly but only received an amused smirk in response.  
  
The mattress shifted as Asami swung his legs over the edge of the bed. “I assume you’re hungry. There’s food prepared in the parlor down the hall.”  
  
Naturally, Akihito’s stomach chose that exact moment to gurgle. He ducked his head in mild embarrassment and followed Asami out of bed. He noticed his clothing from the previous night was now freshly washed and neatly folded on a table in the corner of the room. He suspected it was Kirishima’s doing—the man was like a bodyguard, secretary, and maid all in one.  
  
Atop the stack of clothes was Akihito’s missing cellphone. Out of habit, he clicked it open and typed in his passcode, wondering how many missed calls and texts had piled up in his absence. He nearly yelped in horror when he saw that his wallpaper was still set to a photo of Asami, which the man himself had undoubtedly seen at that point.  
  
“Wait a minute,” Akihito mumbled, his embarrassment subsiding as a new thought entered his mind. He turned to face the other man, who was already mostly dressed. “Asami? How were you able to get past the lock screen of my phone? Please don’t tell me you hacked it or something.”  
  
It was Asami’s turn to look at him questioningly. “There was no need to. You told me your passcode.”  
  
Akihito frowned, feeling genuinely confused. He sure as hell never remembered doing that. As though reading his thoughts, Asami said, “You said it was your mother’s birth date. March 5, 1968. 3-5-6-8.”  
  
Akihito’s eyes widened as the memory came rushing back. It was something he had mentioned offhand well over a year ago. How in the world did Asami still remember that? He inexplicably began to feel a sweet stinging at the corner of his eyes and attempted to blink the oncoming tears away.  
  
“What’s wrong?” He heard Asami ask, who then cupped his face with his hand, his cheek easily fitting into Asami’s palm.  
  
“Nothing’s wrong. I’m just … surprised.” Akihito’s eyes shifted downwards in thought. After a pause, he quietly asked, “The Red Banquet is in a couple days, right?” Asami said nothing, which he took as a silent yes. He gulped nervously before continuing in an even smaller voice, “I don’t agree with this whole Red Banquet thing in the first place, but still. You better not die on me.”  
  
A torrent of emotions, violent and wild, shot across Asami’s gaze like a comet, barely seen. “I won’t,” he responded before leaning down to take his lips once more.

* * *

Song: [Akihito's Flashbacks](https://soundcloud.com/user809476053/cage)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will likely be the last for this arc. As an aside, I've been listening to a lot of music from various visual novels while writing this fic, and have begun to associate certain songs with certain scenes/characters in my mind. To anyone interested, the song for this chapter is right above this note.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
